Horse riding
The Lot is a great place for horse riding, especially on the heights of Lacapelle-Cabanac where Le Cheval Blanc has been organising horse rides for donkey's years! www.chevalblanc-lot.com

Keep fit
Active pursuits nearby include canoeing, rafting or hiring a pedalo on the River Lot. Or if you prefer dry land, why not rent a bike. All available in Puy l'Evêque, only 7km away.

Gastronomie
There are many restaurants around Les Cerisiers, particularly in Puy l'Evêque. Some have vegetarian options.

History
Visit the fabulous fortress of Bonaguil nearby or the spectacular château de Biron, stopping to see the Gavaudun donjon on the way and the picturesque village of St Avit.

Cahors Malbec wine tour
Join a half-day tour of 2 or 3 wine 'domaines' in the local area - the vineyards in the area surrounding Les Cerisiers provide the Malbec grapes for the famous Cahors wines. Must be booked in advance: www.malbecwinetour.com

Fantastic for kids and all
CapNature near Cahors is a leisure park with treetrop adventure courses, paintball, zorb/bubble football, laser-tag, climbing and kayaking. www.capnature.eu

Tree-climbing and animal park in Lacapelle-Biron
14 hectares of parkland with crazy golf, an animal farm and a treetop adventure trail through the trees with different routes for different ages.
www.parc-en-ciel.com

A round of golf?
The Golf du Bouysset with its 9 hole course is just 7km away at St-Martin-le-Redon, or you could go a little further (2km) to try the 18 hole course at the Villeneuve-sur-Lot Golf & Country Club (at Castelnau-de-Gratecambe).

Play tennis
There is a tennis court in Duravel, which is open all the time. 1.6km from the house, so about 20 minutes’ walk or 2 minutes by car.

Take to the air...
To see the scenery from a different perspective, get in contact with ‘Air Libre Montgolfières’ in Carnac-Rouffiac, who organise hot air balloon tours, or call ‘Parapente Max’ who offer parapente jumps at Douelle in the Lot valley.

Pottery painting
A creative activity for all the family to have a go at! Paint a mug, plate, teapot, piggy bank… at Le Caillau café-restaurant in Vire-sur-Lot, a couple of km from the house.

Quercyland
This fantastic activity park in Souillac has lots to do including a water park with slides, a treetop adventure course, mini golf, trampolines and a maze. Situated right on the river Dordogne, you can also go canoeing or rafting, take a boat trip or rent bikes.

Go underground!
Visit the Grottes de Cougnac caves near Gourdon (just south of Souillac) which have lots of amazing rock formations as well as prehistoric wall paintings. A nice place to cool off on a hot day!

Explore Puy l’Evêque
This superb medieval town built on a rock by the river Lot is well worth a visit, with its 13th century donjon at the top of the town. Tuesday is market day in Puy l’Evêque, held in the square in front of the town hall.

Montcuq and Castelnau-Montratier
Two villages south of the River Lot which are lovely to wander around. Montcuq is built on a cone-shaped hill with most of the houses on the south side with fine views across the countryside. If you can, go on a Sunday morning for its market, classed as one of the ‘most beautiful in France’. Castelnau-Montratier is typical of the Quercy Blanc region, with its white stone houses.

Cahors
The main town of the Lot, Cahors was founded during the first century BC around a sacred spring. Built in a tight meander of the River Lot, it is compact and walkable. Sights include the lovely Cathédrale de St Etienne, a Romanesque–style cathedral, and the famous Pont Valentre, a fortified bridge with six pointed arches and three tall towers. The Musée Henri Martin is also worth visiting, housed in a 17th century former Episcopal palace. On Wednesday and Saturday mornings, a wonderful open air market fills the Place Chapou whilst a flower market takes place on Sunday mornings. A daily market is held in the 19th century halle.